1. Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to the field of manufacturing of aircraft subassemblies and more particularly to embodiments for high rate pulsing of an assembly line through multiple positions employing interchangeable automated guide vehicles with task specific headers for transfer to multi-access position systems for subassembly support at each position for determinant assembly.
2. Background
Existing Aircraft wings are assembled in a vertical orientation and are held in large floor mounted assembly fixtures that control the location of the major components until they are fastened together and become sufficiently stable. Wings are then transported with overhead building cranes and placed in a horizontal orientation in a lay down fixture or dolly to continue the assembly process. Mechanics and their tools are transported between floors of scaffolding and between the multiple rate fixtures. Operations are batch processed and drilling and installation of the thousands of high tolerance fasteners are done manually. They use large expensive dock assembly systems that are not capable of pulsing the wing to specialized assembly stations. They all use overhead building cranes that require specialized crews to attach and move the wing. They also require a “high bay” (40′-75′ high) facility. The time to move as well as scheduling delays makes this approach impractical for a takt time paced assembly line.
Recurring labor associated with existing production systems can be fairly expensive and requires non-value added time for rotating the wing, setting up the portable drilling equipment and removing, deburring and reinstalling the lower panel. Additionally, it is not possible to use “C” frame or Yoke automatic fastening systems on closed wing structure such as a wing box with both panels attached. Manual drilling and fastening which is therefore required may have undesirable ergonomic and quality issues.
Prior art practice for production of aircraft wing assembly uses large floor mounted “end gate” castings at multiple dock or stationary locations to clamp and hold the various sub-assemblies together until they are drilled, disassembled, deburred, reassembled and permanently fastened. These multi-ton large weldments or cast tools which locate the side of body components together are expensive and impractical to move through a horizontal pulsing assembly line.
Existing production assembly systems for aircraft wing moving lines rotate the wing so that the upper and lower panel drilling is done manually or via portable semi-automated drilling systems from above the wing. In traditional monument based vertical assembly systems wings are drilled and countersunk manually or with portable equipment that is moved from fixture to fixture. Both systems require the panel to be removed and debured and then reassembled. Existing systems that do not require disassembly and deburring must employ large “C” frame or Yoke riveters that work on part that have access on both sides.
It is therefore desirable to provide horizontal pulsing assembly lines with automated transport systems for a partially assembled wing and automated systems to drill and install fasteners for the main wing box of commercial airplanes. It is further desirable that the transport system be reconfigurable for right hand and left hand wings as well as be segmented to provide a smaller storage footprint and allow mechanics access to temporarily secure the lower panel to the wing box. It is also desirable that the transport system load the lower panel from under the wing box.
If is additionally desirable that the side of body geometry be located and held in configuration as it progresses through the different assembly positions until it is fully fastened without the use of large heavy traditional tooling.